Countdown to Kickoff – Week 9

Crimson Tide looking to stay on top

It cost a record amount of money to get Nick Saban to Alabama – 8 years, $32 million.

So far, Crimson Tide fans would probably say he’s been worth every penny.

In just his third year in his new digs, Saban led Alabama to a perfect 14-0 mark, including both the Southeastern Conference Championship and Bowl Championship Series National Title.

And with names like Greg McElroy, Julio Jones and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram returning, the Tide may be rolling to even larger heights in 2010.

Just don’t let their coach hear that kind of talk.

Always the pessimist, the two-time national championship coach downplays all talk of being the No. 1 team in America to start the season.

“If this team is No.1, it’s because of what they did last year because they haven’t done anything,” Saban said. “It doesn’t make any difference what anybody thinks. It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish. That’s what our players need to understand as well. If I were voting, I would think there is somebody who has more players coming back that had a successful team last year that is going to be more ready to compete. Do I like our team? I love our team. Do I like our players? I love our players. Do I think we can develop into a good team? Absolutely, but I’m not a big poll guy.”

Regardless of the coach’s gloomy prognostications, Alabama’s offense figures to be one of the best in America in the new season.

Big-time playmakers like Ingram and Jones join sophomore Trent Richardson, redshirt freshman Eddie Lacy and junior Marquis Maze as Crimson Tide returnees on a unit that already averaged more than 32 points per game last season.

The Tide rushed for 215 yards per game last season. Drawing linebackers and safeties closer to the line of scrimmage then meant McElroy was able to hit big plays in the passing game to the explosive Alabama receivers.

“We’ve got a bunch of offensive weapons,” said McElroy following the team’s spring game. “We have a bunch of players who are willing to step up and make plays at any given time. That’s what’s encouraging.”

And that’s just fine with the defending Heisman Trophy winner, who said he doesn’t expect any special treatment in the new season.

“I’m glad other players are getting their chance to shine,” Ingram said. “Everybody deserves their time.”

If the Crimson Tide will hiccup in their quest to win back-to-back National Titles, it will likely be because of struggles on the defensive side of the football.

Alabama will have to replace virtually its entire 2009 defense – a unit that held opposing offenses to 10 or fewer points in seven of the team’s 14 games last season.

Gone are long-time starters like Rolando McClain, Javier Arenas and Terrence Cody. In will be upstart prospects like Luther Davis, Robby Green and Josh Chapman.

But still calling the shots on that side of the football will be Saban – who is known around the coaching ranks as a defensive genius.

“We still have a long way to go but as a defense we are gelling together, we are really coming together as a whole,” said junior defensive lineman Marcell Dareus.

Alabama will be put to the test pretty early in the season.

The Tide will take on Penn State in the second game of the season.

Alabama will also play Florida in Week 5 of the season, before traveling to Death Valley in Week 9.

But win, lose or draw, Ingram said he doesn’t expect any hangover following the team’s big 2009 season.

“We’re young and we’re hungry. We have lots of players all over the field that can make plays, offensively, defensively, special teams,” he said. “We have lots of athletes. Last year we were good but I think this year we can be better.”

Saban wouldn’t go as far as Ingram, but even he is optimistic – as optimistic as he’ll ever be.

“There has been a tremendous amount of progress made,” Saban said. “We’re not satisfied with where we are, but we’re certainly not disappointed with the progress we’ve made up to this point. I really look forward to working between now and the first game so that we can make progress in other areas.”

Alabama Crimson Tide

2009 Record: 14-0

Starters Returning: 13

Key Returners: Quarterback Greg McElroy, halfback Mark Ingram, receiver Julio Jones, linebacker Dont’a Hightower

2009 STATS

Scoring Offense: 32.1 points per game

Scoring Defense: 11.7 points allowed per game

Total Offense: 403.0 yards per game

Total Defense: 244.1 yards allowed per game

Seahawks hope Carroll brings winning culture

The Seattle Seahawks wanted to make a splash this offseason.

They did one better – creating a virtual NFL tsunami, hiring former Southern California coach Pete Carroll.

With shockwaves still resonating all throughout the West Coast, the highly-coveted coach is looking to rebuild a franchise that has won just nine games combined in the past two seasons.

“I know it’s going to be difficult,” Carroll said at his introductory press conference. “And people from where I come from want to say, ‘Gosh, why would you do that, when you win all the time in college football, and here you are going into the meat grinder in the NFL?’ I’m ready. I couldn’t be more excited about it. And I can’t wait to get started.”

In order to turn the Seahawks back into a winner, Carroll will first have to resurrect the nearly- extinct Seattle offense.

The Seahawks ranked No. 25 in the NFL in scoring offense last season, thanks in large part to an offensive line that struggled to protect quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and failed to open holes for halfbacks Julius Jones and Justin Forsett.

To combat the problem, the team selected offensive tackle Russell Okung from Oklahoma State with the No. 6 pick in the NFL Draft.

Hasselbeck said having a talented left tackle to protect his blindside is a comfort he hasn’t had in recent seasons because of Walter Jones’ injury concerns.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that where we are right now, we’re a better team, we’re a more talented team than when we finished the season,” he said. “That’s a great thing.”

With hopefully more time to throw the football, Carroll said he, in turn, will also expect Hasselbeck to return to the Pro Bowl form that he displayed in the middle of the past decade when the Seahawks were major contenders.

“We’ve probably logged more quarterback meeting hours than any quarterback corps in the history of football,” Hassebeck said while laughing. “But it’s been fun.”

On defense, the challenge is just as daunting.

Seattle ranked in the bottom third of virtually every defensive statistic last season, most notably in total yards (No. 24) and scoring defense (No. 25).

Like with the offense, the Seahawks also looked to improve their defense via the draft, selecting Texas safety Earl Thomas with the No. 14 overall selection.

The secondary is the unit of the Seattle defense that needed the most help, after allowing 245 yards per game through the air last season, good for No. 30 in the NFL.

“He had something like 24 pass breakups and eight picks for the year [at Texas],” Carroll said of his new safety on Draft Day. “Extraordinary numbers, and something that we needed desperately to add to our team. He jumped out, and he’s also unique in that he has the ability to play corner, and he has played man-to-man on slots and he has done a lot of other things.”

Seattle will combine Thomas with veteran cornerback Marcus Trufant, who is expected to be healthy after an injury-plagued 2009. That duo is what the team is staking its claims to – in what it hopes will be an improved defense this year.

“We’ve got a good blend. It’s a nice group,” Trufant said. “No egos. No attitudes. We’re all on the same page. We’re all trying to get better.”

The improvement Trufant seeks better come quickly, as Seahawks’ ownership has never shown to be patient in the past.

The team’s previous coach, Jim Mora Jr., was fired after just one season, so it remains to be seen how much time Carroll will be given to turn the struggling franchise around.

That’s just fine with Carroll, who said he’s driven by the difficulty he’s about to face.

“If you know anything about me, you know I can’t pass up this challenge,” Carroll said.

Seattle Seahawks

2009 Record: 5-11

Starters Returning: 18

Key Returners: Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, linebacker Lofa Tatupu, cornerback Marcus Trufant, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, halfback Julius Jones

2009 STATS

Scoring Offense: 17.5ppg

Scoring Defense: 24.4 papg

Total Offense: 316.8 ypg

Total Defense: 356.4 yapg

SFA Lumberjacks look to repeat in Southland

Can Moses lead his team to the Promised Land?

Some would say, he’s done it already. Others say, let’s bring a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) championship to Texas.

But time will tell as last year’s Southland Conference Player of the Year Jeremy Moses returns for his senior season at Stephen F. Austin.

Moses threw 39 touchdowns and led the Lumberjacks to the Southland Conference championship and the second round of the FCS playoffs last season.

The Lumberjacks lost a nail biting season-opener to Southern Methodist after watching a nine point fourth quarter lead evaporate. But SFA quickly rebounded winning all of its remaining regular season games except for a midseason loss to Texas St.

SFA defeated McNeese St. to open conference play in what became a pivotal game to decide the conference championship because both teams finished with identical 6-1 league marks.

After defeating Eastern Washington 44-33 in the first round of the FCS playoffs, Moses struggled in the team’s second round game against Montana throwing four interceptions, and the Lumberjacks were eliminated by the score of 51-0.

Moses enters 2010 as the school’s all-time leading passer and has recently been named one of the Top 10 FCS quarterbacks by sportsnetwork.com.

But he has to overcome the loss of three of his top four receivers to graduation, and he will need to find new targets if he wants to increase his stature in Lumberjack lore.

Those three departures (Duane Brooks, Aaron Rhea and Contrevious Parks) combined for 221 receptions and 21 touchdowns – more than half of Moses’ production in 2009. The Lumberjacks will rely on sophomores Gralyn Crawford and Cordell Roberson to step up in 2010.

“Both Gralyn and Cordell have been very consistent during the spring,” said SFA head coach J.C. Harper to the team’s website. “I’ve been very pleased with their progress. We have a lot of guys who are really pushing for playing time. There are so many different guys who I could name who have done a good job to this point. It will be a fun battle to watch progress throughout spring and in August when players report back.”

Crawford and Robertson combined for 71 receptions and 11 touchdowns last season, with most of their production coming late in their rookie campaign.

“Due to injuries, a lot of our freshman were forced into action late in the year,” said Harper. “They really performed well, and we didn’t miss a beat. The talent level is there; we’re just a little short on game experience.”

But it was fellow sophomore receiver Anthony Foster who led all receivers in the spring game with six receptions for 71 yards. Roberson hauled in five catches for 73 yards and a score and Crawford caught three passes for 34 yards and a score.

Along with the wide receiver position, the Lumberjacks will have to make replacements at defensive end – most notably to four-time All-Southland Conference performer Tim Knicky.

“We have to replace our two starting defensive ends from last year, but I’m excited about the talent we have at those positions,” said Harper. “We have some exciting players to watch.”

With new players looking to fill the defensive end roles, Harper said the position group should be strong in 2010.

“Put number 51 on [Jacob Fincher’s] chest and most folks wouldn’t know it isn’t Tim Knicky. We moved Kenneth Charles to end and he has had a great spring, and I really think Rainey Sternes is going to be dominant on the outside as well. We have a great group of guys to work with,” he added.

Stephen F. Austin

2009 Record: 9-3 (6-1 Southland Conference)

Starters Returning: 14

Key Returners: Tight end Corday Clark, defensive end Desmund Lighten, safeties Malcolm Bronson and Darrell Jenkins

2009 STATS

Scoring Offense: 27 ppg

Scoring Defense: 25.2 papg

Total Offense: 443 ypg

Total Defense: 349.5 yapg